Life is Strange 2's Nintendo Switch release was almost banned in Australia due to new rating

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The sequel was temporarily 'Refused Classification'

Life is Strange 2
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Life is Strange 2 has been released on Nintendo Switch, but it temporarily had trouble being sold in Australia due to an error with its classification.

As shared on Twitter by an account which archives the censorship of film, video games, etc. in Australia, Life is Strange 2 was temporarily given a 'refused classification' rating by the automated International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) system used by the Australian government to rate media in the country. 

According to the Australian government's classification website, if a product is rated as 'Refused Classification' it means that it cannot be "sold, hired, advertised, or legally imported" into the country - which means Life is Strange 2 was, at least for a short while, not allowed to be sold in Australia.

This has got a lot of fans confused because other versions of the game, which were rated upon their release back in 2019, were fine to release in the country and were given an 'R18+' rating due to the drug use depicted in the game and its online connectivity. The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts has since removed the classification though, telling Kotaku Australia that it was an error on the automated system's part. 

Life is Strange 2 was released on Nintendo Switch on February 2, 2023, meaning almost every game in the series is now available to play on the hybrid console. This includes the first game, its spin-off game Life is Strange: Before the Storm (as part of the Arcadia Bay collection), as well as the latest installment of the series, Life is Strange: True Colors. The only one missing is the mini Life is Strange 2 spin-off game The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit. 

Take a look at our games like Life is Strange list for some hella good recommendations on what to play next. 

Hope Bellingham
Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.